Chapter 44: “I want to kiss you.”
“The Kun’s core was not something we asked him to get.” In the Lingxi Hall, the immortal physicians looked at the spiritual medicines that had been sent in through the teleportation array again and murmured, “There’s even a flood dragon horn, jade marrow ganoderma, and immortal peaches… what are all these?”
Liao Chen’s explanation for this was: “These all have the effect of increasing beast essence and replenishing soul power. Even if a hundred years of lifespan can only increase his by one year, this Lord only needs to get ten thousand years of lifespan to increase his by a hundred years.”
The immortal physicians were all speechless. Yan Jingyu also didn’t know how to explain to him that this really wasn’t doing a math problem.
He sighed, knowing that he couldn’t possibly change his mind. In the end, he only sent him a sound transmission at night: “They said they would help me condense my lamp wick tomorrow. Are you coming back?”
The next day after the message was sent, he finally saw Liao Chen. This fiend’s temper was really too big. After coming in, he didn’t talk to him, but just sat quietly to the side.
The immortal physicians were busy around him. Yan Jingyu would glance at him in the gaps between the people passing by. Occasionally, when their eyes met, the other would slightly avoid him. Yan Jingyu was a little amused for a moment.
When they were about to start, Liao Chen finally stood up from his chair. “Can I help with anything?”
“Condensing the lamp wick is not difficult.” The immortal physicians gently declined his kind offer. A few people formed a circle, took out the ice heart, and carefully placed it in his soul-lamp.
The ice heart passed through the divine curse above. It carefully solidified the scattered ashes again.
Liao Chen stood to the side, his gaze fixed on his closed eyes, watching his always calm face, until the immortal physicians simultaneously withdrew their power. One of them flicked his finger and woke Yan Jingyu up.
He opened his eyes, his eyes clear and clean.
Liao Chen let out a slight sigh of relief and heard the immortal physicians speak one by one. “Does the Immortal Lord feel anything?”
Yan Jingyu shook his head.
“Did you feel any coldness when the ice heart entered your spiritual platform?”
He shook his head.
The crowd exchanged a glance, then spoke again. “When the divine curse disappeared, did it hurt?”
He thought for a moment, then shook his head.
The immortal physicians nodded to each other, not showing any surprise. Someone else asked, “Did you feel that your spiritual platform was hazy and chaotic, and you couldn’t see things clearly?”
He shook his head.
Liao Chen nodded, the corners of his lips curving. “It seems this move was quite successful. Can we prepare to reignite the soul-fire next?”
The immortal physicians exchanged a glance again. An immortal physician was just about to step forward when Yan Jingyu had already said, “It should be possible. I also know some pharmacology and would like to comprehend the wonders of the Purple Flame Fruit and the Exquisite Ginseng. Recently, I will think about the method of refining with everyone.”
Liao Chen grunted in acknowledgement. Recently, he had confirmed that Yan Jingyu had no intention of helping the immortal physicians escape from the Demon Palace, so he had also relaxed a little. “As you wish. Then the Kun’s core…” He paused for a moment. Seeing that Yan Jingyu’s expression was as usual, he continued, “Have you taken it?”
“That should be used after the soul-lamp is lit for a better effect.” Yan Jingyu casually caught his words, stood up, and walked over. “You have gotten so many good medicines for me, and I haven’t thanked you properly yet. Now that you’re finally back, shall we have a meal together?”
“…Forget it.” Liao Chen walked out first. “Let’s just celebrate the recovery of your lamp wick.”
Yan Jingyu chased after him, leaving behind a sentence: “Wait for me to come back and we’ll study the method of refining together.”
The immortal physicians watched them leave. Only then did they open the sound transmission formation again. “The lamp wick is solidified, yet his spiritual platform feels no pain or itch. This is not a good thing…”
“He can’t even sense the coldness of the ice heart. It means his spiritual platform has already lost its clarity. If we hadn’t been irrigating it with spiritual medicine all this time, he would have surely started to lose his five senses by now…”
“That’s right, there’s no feeling of being stripped away when the divine curse disappears… Let’s see how many more days the Purple Flame Fruit and the Exquisite Ginseng can extend his life for.”
The weather had been getting hotter recently. Yan Jingyu directly moved the small table to the roof, prepared a few small dishes, and sat opposite Liao Chen. Just as he took out the Wenjun Lüyi from his ring, he saw Liao Chen opposite him take out the Nine Heavens Immortal. Their four eyes met, and Yan Jingyu smiled first. “Don’t you dislike me drinking Nine Heavens Immortal?”
“Don’t you dislike Wenjun Lüyi?”
“It seems that during this time you’ve been collecting herbs everywhere, you’ve grown a lot.”
“It seems you finally can’t stand this Lord’s cold shoulder and want to actively please me?”
“…” Yan Jingyu was annoyed. “No, what do you mean, being given the cold shoulder by you? Liao Chen, do you even know how to talk?”
Liao Chen avoided his gaze again, was silent for a while, and said, “That day, you knew I was in the North Underworld. You wanted to see the Kun with me, right?”
“…I just had never been there.”
“Mortals say that when the Void Sea and the Bitter Sea overlap, the wishes made at the moment the Kun appears will all come true.”
Yan Jingyu blinked. “Is that so?”
“That day, you kept emphasizing how important the moment the Kun appeared was, and also said something about what was in the sea… did you want to make a wish with me?”
Yan Jingyu tilted his head to look at him. Liao Chen’s gaze dodged several times, his fingers fiddling with the chopsticks on the table. Yan Jingyu couldn’t help but reveal a smile. Liao Chen finally looked up and stared at him with a straight face.
Yan Jingyu’s smile deepened. “Yes.”
Liao Chen’s breathing was chaotic for a moment. He remembered what the Daoist couple had said and said subconsciously, “What… what wish do you want to make?”
“What wish can I make with you?” Yan Jingyu blinked at him. Liao Chen moved his gaze to the side again, his lips pursed. Before he could speak, Yan Jingyu sighed. “If I were with my Daoist companion watching the Kun, I would naturally wish for a lifetime together. But with you, of course, I hope that there can be another peak battle between us.”
He placed the wine jar on the table, pressed his hands on the wine jar, and then rested his chin on the back of his hand. “If it were you, what wish would you make?”
“I, of course, would also be the same.”
Yan Jingyu smiled. “Then let’s drink the Nine Heavens Immortal in your hand.”
Just as he was about to take it back, he saw Liao Chen directly throw the Nine Heavens Immortal back into the Qiankun Pouch. “This Lord still thinks Wenjun Lüyi is better.”
Yan Jingyu gave him a white eye. “Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Aren’t you the one who’s doing it on purpose?”
“What did I do on purpose?”
“What did I do on purpose?”
“…” Yan Jingyu smiled. “You’re being very childish like this.”
“Who on earth is more childish?” Liao Chen’s tone was sarcastic. “You’re so old, and you still believe in making wishes. Anyone who doesn’t know would think you’re a three-year-old baby.”
Yan Jingyu: “…”
He decided to have a direct truce, picked up the jade pot on the side, and poured him some tea. “I didn’t come here to argue with you today. Anyway, thank you for helping me condense my lamp wick. Maybe I can live for another two months.”
“A jinx like you won’t die so easily.” Liao Chen curled his lips, raised his cup arrogantly, and clinked it with his. After drinking the tea, he picked up his chopsticks and served him some food. “Sweet and sour pork ribs, your favorite, all small ribs.”
“How do you know I only eat small ribs?”
“Is there anything about you that I don’t know?”
“You know me so well…” Yan Jingyu rolled his eyes. “Then guess what I’m thinking now?”
Liao Chen put down his chopsticks and looked at him seriously. Yan Jingyu met his gaze, blinked, and then curved his eyes with ill intentions.
Liao Chen said, “You’re thinking, Liao Qi Mei is indeed Liao Qi Mei. He really is extraordinarily beautiful.”
“…” Yan Jingyu’s eyes widened. Liao Chen continued, “You’re thinking, how did he guess that?”
Yan Jingyu: “…”
“You’re not thinking about anything now.”
In the end, Yan Jingyu couldn’t hold it in. “So how did you guess?!”
“Your eyes reflect my face.” Liao Chen gestured to his eyes and said with a straight face, “But you have a treacherous look on your face. You definitely don’t have anything good in your heart.”
Yan Jingyu was not sure. This time, he really took out a mirror and looked at his own face. “Is it really that treacherous?”
Liao Chen nodded. “It’s really treacherous. Every time you scheme against me, you look like this. Even the roots of your eyelashes are filled with a fishy smell, very smelly.”
Yan Jingyu made a face in the mirror, then showed it to him, his eyes narrowed. “Is it like this?”
Liao Chen’s lips curved slightly. “Pretty much.”
Yan Jingyu immediately put it away, his expression very complicated. “It is indeed a bit disgusting.”
The treacherous look he had deliberately learned was naturally different from what Liao Chen had said. In the past, when he was about to do something bad, his eyes would unconsciously wander. When he was done and had victory in his grasp, his gaze would be very firm, and innocent, but the corners of his eyes and eyebrows would be filled with triumph. Sometimes his mouth would curve upwards, and sometimes he would deliberately pout, as if he were putting on a sympathetic look.
This kind of treacherous look, the person being targeted would feel that he was very hateful. Liao Chen had been triggered by this expression countless times and wished he could just crush his head. But when it didn’t involve grudges, that look was actually both lively and…
Liao Chen agreed. “It is indeed disgusting.”
Yan Jingyu put away the mirror and glared at him. Liao Chen said, “Now it’s your turn.”
“What am I doing?”
“Guess what I’m thinking.”
“…” Yan Jingyu rolled his eyes and pouted. “I can’t guarantee I’ll guess right.”
Liao Chen noncommittally crossed his arms on the table, his body leaning slightly forward. Yan Jingyu immediately answered, “You’re thinking you’re ready!”
“…” Liao Chen didn’t speak, adjusted his breathing, and looked at him seriously. Yan Jingyu looked at his eyes. The two of them’s eyeballs stared at each other. Then Yan Jingyu’s eyeballs turned to the left, and Liao Chen followed his eyeballs and turned to the left. Yan Jingyu turned to the right, and he followed and turned to the right.
Yan Jingyu slammed the table and said decisively, “Your brain is empty, nothing at all!”
Liao Chen: “…Are you playing me?!”
“Just tell me if I guessed right or not.” Yan Jingyu said, “You, your expression and your brain can only do one thing at a time… You see, you’re thinking now, ‘is it really like this’?”
Liao Chen’s slightly lowered gaze fixed on him again. Yan Jingyu laughed and clapped his hands. “Every time you think about something, your eyes will look to the lower left. When you do something bad, you’ll look to the lower right. When you really think of a good idea, the corners of your eyes will even twitch, for fear that others won’t know what bad idea you’ve come up with, right? Hahaha, Liao Xiao Mei, you’re really a fool…”
Liao Chen picked up his wine cup and splashed it on his face.
Yan Jingyu’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. The muscles on his upturned face calmed down. He looked at Liao Chen with a wet face.
The corner of Liao Chen’s eye twitched unconsciously. He said without any sincerity, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold it in.”
Yan Jingyu first pursed his lips lightly, then unconsciously bit his back molars. He reached out and grabbed the small table. Before he could flip it, Liao Chen suddenly snapped his fingers. The wet feeling on his face immediately disappeared. But Yan Jingyu was not appeased by this. He lifted it with one hand—
Liao Chen pressed it down with a smack.
He lifted—
Liao Chen pressed.
Yan Jingyu used his strength several times. Liao Chen looked at him with a kind face as he exerted himself. Yan Jingyu finally gave up on the table, grabbed a wine jar, but Liao Chen reached out and pressed it down again, at the same time using the posture of pressing down on the wine jar to prop himself up, and moved closer to him, his face right in front of him.
He gazed at Yan Jingyu’s face and said slowly, “Guess one last time. If you can guess right, I’ll let you splash me back.”
He looked at Yan Jingyu, and Yan Jingyu was also looking at him. Something invisible seemed to be fermenting in the air. Yan Jingyu gradually held his breath. Liao Chen’s gaze was like an abyss, firmly sucking him in. His pupils gradually contracted, but his eyes were silently widening. His eyelashes trembled inadvertently due to the expansion of his eyelid muscles. His brain ordered him to move his gaze away, but it seemed that he couldn’t do it no matter what.
Liao Chen moved closer and closer, his nose right in front of him, his voice pressed very low, his warm breath falling on his cheek. “Can’t guess?”
Yan Jingyu forced himself to move his gaze away, his eyelashes lowered. “You’re thinking that you absolutely can’t let me guess right.”
“Wrong.”
“…” Yan Jingyu’s hand moved away from the wine jar, trying to distance himself from him. But Liao Chen’s breath did not move away. “Can’t guess, or dare not guess?”
“…I’m too lazy to guess you!”
Yan Jingyu suddenly moved his body out, stood up, and jumped directly off the roof. Only when his feet were in the air did he remember that he had forgotten to use his spiritual energy.
The external spiritual sea needed to be consciously used each time. He had been a waste for too long and always forgot…
His body instantly fell. The moment he touched the ground, he felt himself being gently supported by something soft and landed steadily on the ground.
Yan Jingyu did not turn back.
Behind him, Liao Chen stood on the roof, looking down, his gaze desolate.
Not until Yan Jingyu had dived into the bed curtains did he lower his eyes and part his lips, his voice like a fine thread:
“I want to kiss you.”
